Twentieth Television veteran Ken Lawson has a new title. Effective today, he is the company’s SVP and General Sales Manager of Broadcast Syndication Sales. The former SVP and National Sales Manager now will oversee all broadcast sales initiatives on behalf of 20th TV. He replaces Paul Franklin, who was hired as President of CBS Television Distribution this month.

In his previous post, Lawson oversaw 20th’s Los Angeles and Chicago regional sales offices. His most recent projects include the broadcast syndication launches of Family Guy, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family and Last Man Standing. He also handles sales for the first-run syndie programs Divorce Court and Dish Nation.

“With well over two decades of knowledge, experience and sales leadership at Twentieth, Lawson is an invaluable asset to the company, and I am pleased to announce this well-deserved elevation,” said Twentieth Television President Greg Meidel, to whom Lawson will report. “Given the complexity of deals in the fast-evolving syndication marketplace, Ken will work closely with Steve MacDonald, Twentieth’s EVP & General Sales Manager of Cable, allowing for seamless and strategic deals surrounding the strong slate of programs in our pipeline including Fresh Off the Boat, The Carmichael Show, Life In Pieces, Rosewood and Empire.”

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Lawson joined Twentieth Television in 1989 as an intern in the company’s research department while attending USC. Upon graduating, Lawson served as a research analyst for the company before being promoted to senior analyst and, shortly thereafter, moving to 20th’s sales department in Los Angeles as a sales trainee. In 1995 he was transferred to the company’s New York office to serve as division manager, Eastern region; that was followed by a promotion to VP Broadcast Sales, Central Region, to manage Twentieth Television’s Chicago operation.